Drumming is a very physically demanding and dynamic activity that requires a tremendous amount of muscle conditioning, endurance, strength, and coordination. To become a great drummer, the drummer must generally practice long hours, performing the same repetitive activity. This conditioning will help the drummer develop the necessary muscle memory and consistently perform well. For example, a drummer may reach 10,000 beats per hour when drumming, with only brief intervals between songs. Unfortunately, this may place the drummer at risk for developing various stress injuries relating to the supporting musculo skeletal system.
Additionally, drummers are often susceptible to developing pain behind their ankles, the bottoms of their feet, knees, hip-joints, and lower back, due to the repetitive activity when playing the kick drum, high-hat, or drum instrument. If the user is uncomfortable or overcompensating during long play sessions, fatigue and injuries may grow worse. Currently available foot-pedal heel plates are generally made from metal or steel and are designed for a user that is playing with foot protection, such as a shoe. To prevent the shoed foot from slipping off the foot pedal, the metal heel plate is texturized, providing additional friction with the shoe. Moreover, current heel plate shapes are configured to mimic the narrow horseshoe or square shape of a shoe heel and generally do not provide a wide stable platform for the heel of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,205, issued to Lombardi, discloses a drum foot pedal comprising a heel plate with treads on an upper surface. The heel plate is made from metal, may vary in thickness, and can be stacked with other metal plates to create an adjustment in height. However, the metal heel plate disclosed in Lombardi is uncomfortable without shoes and does not disclose that the heel plate is modular—that it maintains a wider and longer heel support base, and it may not be used with many types of drum foot pedals. Additionally, Lombardi lacks tapered side wings, which would provide not just additional support against an original base plate, but versatility which allows the device to fit with other types of pedals such as those used with a high-hat or other percussion instruments.
Thus, there is a long-felt need in the art for a modular replacement heel pedestal device and system that will improve a drummer or percussionist's hardware drum foot pedal system through: a unique design of height adjustability, a longer width and length, an anti-fatigue top surface that is comfortable even without shoes, which is easy to attach to an existing drum of high-hat foot pedal, and may be attached to various types of drum and high-hat foot pedals.